Lug nuts are on way too tight...

dashotgun said:
I think there is a great chance they would work. I have had excellent luck with it and even if is does not work it is a good tool to have around, and for under 20 bucks with shipping it is a steal. I have their consumer grade torque wrench for putting the lugs back on as well.....
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Would this set include all that I need?



http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/tools/gor1721.jsp



I already have a torque wrench, so I would only order the Gorilla Bar.
 
Absolutly no WD40. I worked in a tire shop for two years. No oils or penetratnts at all. When you use these products your wheels WILL come loose again after time and you don't want that. 9 out of 10 times it's not that they are to tight. It's because they have a bit of rust building up. Breaker bars will break your studs. If you have to stand on your jack arm you are putting more pressure than an impact gun. The reason impact guns are good is because they work like a hammer drill. The only way I would take them off is have a mechanic heat them up with a torch and they will spin off. Just my opion make sure you check with a good mechanic first.



Clinton
 
I guess I've only ever worked on my cars, but the only times mine have been crazy tight is when a shop did it. I have never had rusty lugs or wheel studs. It is always torque. You can't fix that without applying torque again in the opposite direction.



I can see what you are saying about rust and in that case the torque of trying to force them loose might damage the stud. But if they are on because of torque, the studs are continuously under stress until they stretch to relieve the overtightening. So the torque you need to loosen them will decrease the stress on the stud, not spike it (assuming you apply the torque in a smooth fashion, I'd never jump on something attached to my lug nut).



And JM19, you can buy electric impact wrenches for limited use. That might make more sense than an air compressor. In the end, we can only offer solutions to possible problems. You are the one who can see the lugs, knows when they were last tightened, and by whom. Heck, for all we know, your lugs were only hand tightened the last time, and the wheel pushed out and caused the lugs to strip across the stud and now it's all fused together. That's incredibly unlikely, but the thing is, no one but you can really know.



Since it seems you are a little unsure, I'd do what was previously suggested. Pay a shop you trust to loosen them, or to rotate the tires and use a torque wrench to properly retighten them. Then save money on the *next* rotation. :)
 
Unfortunately, I think I have run out of options in terms of doing it myself. I called my local NTB this morning and for $10 they said they would rotate my tires. I figure for the price and expertise this is probably the best way to go for now. I plan on taking my car this Tuesday morning to have it done.



I was wondering, would it seem too bold to ask the folks at NTB if they would mind retightening the lugs with a torque wrench to the proper specs instead of using their usual air wrench method? I figure if I am paying for the service and seeking to be satisfied with the job, it would be a no more than a small favor. What is the general consensus on doing such a thing?
 
considering they are supposed to properly torque them anyway your request does not seem out of line. They normally don't but they should and after you asking for it they should just say of course sir...... After they get yours off im sure they will understand why you wanted them properly torqued
 
I'm glad to hear it won't be too much to ask for. If they do give me a problem, I'll just tell them I'm taking my business elsewhere. Within the area there are least four places that would be able to do a tire rotation.
 
JM19 said:
...I suspect that the last place that rotated my tires must have put them on too tight with a machine...
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This is so typical, so called "mechanics" in these places use brute force on everything. Over and unevenly torqued lugs are the biggest cause of warped rotors.



I do my own rotations and I use a torque stick on my air tools. I also have a spare 100 lb torque stick in all my cars so when it becomes necessary for someone else to work on the car I make them use the stick on their air wrench. Nobody ever complained.
 
Torque sticks are a great idea but you're still using an impact gun. I had a guy ruin 2 McGard locks & ultimately fractured the cloverleaf off the McGard key using a torque stick.



Lucky I mailed in the McGard registration card & I had new locks and keys within a week.



IMHO, locks should always be removed/tightened manually.



Lug threads should never be lubed but I do apply NeverSeize to the mating face of the rotor hubs after wirebrushing them to prevent the wheels from seizing on the hub/rotor face. If you're tempted to put anything on the studs, I suggest running a die over them.
 
There is some good advice here, from those who mentioned having the tire shop torque the nuts to 80 - 100 ft/pds. Overtightening the wheel nuts can lead to more than just the inability to remove them by hand; they can lead to bending the brake rotors. Bent rotors reduce stopping power.



Charles
 
NYV6Coupe said:
Torque sticks are a great idea but you're still using an impact gun. I had a guy ruin 2 McGard locks & ultimately fractured the cloverleaf off the McGard key using a torque stick.



Lucky I mailed in the McGard registration card & I had new locks and keys within a week.



IMHO, locks should always be removed/tightened manually.
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I had the same thing happen last week. I learned my lesson. I plan on taking off the locks myself next time.



Lug nuts should be hand tightened.
 
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